Automatic clutch for steering devices.



A. E. HAUSER. AUTOMATIC CLUTCH FOR STEERING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. I91?- Patented Nov. 19, 1918 a citizen of the Steerin D STA g PA .v

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or Letters Patent.

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To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARNOLD El ienema Un ited statesfresiding at Brooklyn; county of --'and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements "Automatic "(Z-hitches "for a speci' cation.

This invention relates to a clutch for attachment to thesteering devices of a motor vehicle or boat, in WhlCll a double acting friction clutch 1s normally locked to a stationary drum, in .order to prevent movement of the steering mechanism and obviate accidental oscillation of the hand wheel.

- An object of the invention is to eliminate shocks from beingtransmitted' tothe hand wheel, sustained by the front wheels of a vehicle ,or the rudder of a boat caused by hitting an obstruction such as a depression in the roadway, or a floating log.

The invention is designed to permit the control of the clutch to unlock itfrom the drum by the rotation of the hand Wheel when steering the vehicle in any direction.

The novel more fully described in the following specification and claim and illustrated in the accompanying-drawing in which Figure 1 represents a vertical section slhogamg the clutch arranged on the steering s a Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line a: m of the same.

Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the parts in a different position. I Fig. 4 isan inverted plan view of a cover. n this drawing the letter a designates a column having at its upper end a drum b with an open top. The column is provided "with a fixture e at its-lower end for fasten-" ing the colunm to the frame of a vehicle or other object. In the drum is arran ed the including a lever 05 ed to e having a pinion fnearits lower end adapted for connection @withthe mechanism for steering the front. wheels of a motor vehicle or the rudder of a boat as is well known. The lever is two armed and on the opposite sides of the arms are located recesses or pocketsr gl each being made to re 'e recesses as shownare ro ers are automaticall ceive a rollerh.

of peculiar form so as. to retain the roller Devices, of which the following is portion of the drum. The

features of the invention are in =7a' inthe lever willsspread the rolldge and 'norma'l'l presagainstthe inner periphery of the drum.

Acover'mismade tofit over the top open under portion of the cover is provided with a number of projecting lugs 02. to at times engage the small clutch rollers 2' as indicated in Fig. 3, where the cover is shown rotating in the direction of the arrow. The spider o of a hand steering wheel 10 can form an integral part of the cover as shown, or be fastened thereto. The cover is loosely mounted on the hub of the lever and anut prevents the wheel from being displaced ii cm the shaft. A washer 1' disposed between the lower: portion of the nut and the upper hub of the cover, will ease the rotation of the cover.

It will be readily. understood, that the wedge rollers i will be forced against the era. The latterrdllers=are=arranged=-inconjunction with the -other rollers lvto form a rim of the drum when any shock is given to the steering mechanism including the forward wheels or side twist of the lower ortion of the steerin shaft. The more vi ration of the 'vehic e is sulficient by bein transmitted to the'drum to keep the clutc securely locked to prevent accidental throw of the steering devicesand the front wheel connections.

' When it isdesired to unlock the clutch, the hand wheel 12 is oscillated to rotate the cover; a air of the lugs will then push two of the r0 lers 2' out of engagement with the of the rim .of the drum and the The other two' small rollers along by the rotation of the periphery large rollers. 2' can then idle lever with yielding contact with the rim of the drum.

At the reverse wheel p, the, last mentioned pair of will move outbf-contact with the two mentioned wedge rollers and the other two lugs willoact with the other two rollers movement of the hand lugs i'to rotate the shaft 9 in anopposite-direction from the arrow. The drum, of course, will remain stationary whilerotatin the hand wheel and the lever'hombined wit the lugs will canary] the rollers about the axisof the drum. Y enthe hand Wheel is stationa or out of action, the small wedge clutch forcedfagainst the rim of the m by t e expansion of the coiled s rings, and the steerm mechanism below t clutch is securely 10c ed and can last ' rollers opposite only be unlocked 05 the rotation of the heme Wheei. By having each pair of Wedge to each other as shown, it gives a double acting clutch in which the Wheel 0 can be rotated in any direction to unlock the clutch.-

In a clutch the combination with e stetionery drum, oi two pairs of clutch rollers arranged. to engage the innerperiphery -o' the drum, a lever having two pairs of re 1- ers to coect with the first named pair's, springs carried by the iever for spreading a cover for the drum, :1 steering sheit connected. to the lever, e hand 1e wheel mounted on the cover, and pairs of lugs on the cover to at times engage two of the rollers.

I in testimony w ereof 1 have hereunto set my hanoi in the presence of two subscribing 2o witiiesses.

ARNOLD E. HAUSER.

Witnesses:

WILLLAM Mamie, WM. E. Weemzeo. 

